Perplexity AI deviates from the conventional search engine model by adopting a conversational interface, resembling a chatbot, where users can articulate their queries using natural language. Leveraging data from various online sources, the AI-powered system generates responses to address these inquiries.
Notably, Perplexity AI facilitates a dynamic exchange by allowing users to pose follow-up questions, enabling them to obtain further elucidation on a specific subject. The system intelligently considers the contextual information from prior interactions to provide coherent and informed responses. This interactive approach enhances the user experience and promotes a more comprehensive understanding of the topic at hand.
Perplexity AI offers users the opportunity to pose supplementary questions, fostering an ongoing conversation on a specific subject matter. In the event that users seek additional sources or deem the provided sources insufficient, they have the option to access further resources by selecting the ellipsis symbol adjacent to the respective question. This feature empowers users to delve deeper into the topic and access a broader range of reference materials to support their information-seeking needs.
The user can also use the related question section to dig deeper and learn more about the topic.
This AI Profile allows the site to cater to your specific requests as it learns about your interests and what information you value. There is an obvious ethical question that comes with this service, but it has been useful as the AI comes to a usable answer for me quicker, without having to rephrase the question repeatedly.
The $20 monthly charge isn't worth it in my estimation. Many of the new features are integrated into the regular, free-to-use version as the company is still trying to build a user base. The co-pilot feature is helpful as it provides more specific answers, but I've found the same success with the AI Profile feature.
The $200 yearly would only be for heavy users. I belong to a few discord communities, and they can be very helpful, but that is a steep price to pay for an occasional use tool.
As this product grows in popularity and usage, I foresee the free-to-use platform to become more restrictive and all of the added features to migrate to behind a paywall. I don't foresee that happening until Perplexity has a steady stream of new users while also retaining their old user base.
Established in 2022, Perplexity AI was co-founded by Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski. The inspiration behind this venture stemmed from the founders' scholarly backgrounds in scientific research and question answering. Notably, the founders had previously held notable positions at organizations such as OpenAI, Meta, Quora, Bing, and Databricks. These experiences shaped the fundamental proposition of Perplexity AI, which revolves around providing users with transparent citations alongside their search results.
With the recent completion of its Series A funding round, Perplexity AI is poised for growth and expansion. The allocated funds will be directed towards various strategic initiatives. This includes enhancements to the user sign-in process, optimizing the application's knowledge database, and a steadfast commitment to safeguarding user privacy. Through these investments, Perplexity AI aims to strengthen its offerings and accommodate the evolving needs of its user base.
"We have built a first-of-its-kind conversational answer engine that is grounded in providing accurate and relevant information through citations. This is a first step in our mission of building the world's most transparent information service and maximizing the knowledge and productivity of the average consumer"